Meet Eric Yai | Food Blogger & Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Yai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance is very important in life and being able to maintain both, work and having a time to yourself isn’t hard. My life isn’t just about the food page I run. I’m also a student at the University of Texas at Arlington. I’m a pre nursing student so there’s definitely more to juggle since I’m rushing to finish my prerequisites in order to apply for the program. I like to make a schedule and follow it. I have a slot for school, fun, and of course my page. This schedule has been working well so far but when it’s near exam week, it try to dedicate most of my time in studying and going over materials. I’m very lucky that I’m able to find enjoyment in the work I do regarding my food page. It has definitely grown into something so much more in my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a content creator specializing in food and a full time student. Creating content can be easy and hard. It’s easy to find the spot and talk about it but it’s hard when it comes to diversity and variations of content that you have to scope out for. Most viewers don’t mind the same content being pasted but it’s always nice to have some different every now and then since it can also help you grow as well. There’s a bad stereotype that comes with being a food content creator in socials media and that’s expecting to get things for free. I believe that you made this account or blog to give businesses a shoutout and help them attract more customers. You shouldn’t expect something back in return of a post. As a content creator I believe honesty and kindness can go a long way in life. When writing a review, you should always keep it real while maintaining a positive attitude towards the business. You make not like it but the tone you use can speak so much more when others are reading it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
What I live most about Houston is that it’s so diverse with so many spots to hit up. If you’re feeling tired and want a little pick me up for some coffee and bites, I’d go to Buzz n Bites coffee shop in the Spring Brand-Memorial area. Buzz n Bites is a woman owned shop by Rosalyn Ros and Tida Sok. They opened and the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic so business was tough at first but now, it’s surely booming serving the best of the best! My go to order from Buzz n Bites is a 20 oz cloudy ube with soy and a strawberry croissant! The cloudy ube is so flavorful and the ube is so strong and delicious! The crispy croissant with fresh strawberry jam was so delightful. I’m not much of a jam person, but this was an exception. If you were to want some donuts or kolaches, then I’d swing by Queen Donut Shop in the Heights! Queen Donut’s is a local mom and pop shop that opened in the early 1990s by Khanara and his wife, Molika. They offer quality donuts, kolaches, biscuits, and croissant for a low priced. $10 can get you so much here! For lunch, I’d suggest we go Tacos Dona Lena! Located in the spring branch area as well and their opening date was also in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic so of course business was tough at first, but business owner Angel Cabrera overcame this hurdle and now his business is going better than ever! Tacos Dona Lena is a spot that serves tacos, enchiladas , gorditas, birria, and so much more. My favorites from here is their quesabirria tacos that’s filled with authentic beef birria and cheese. Dinner. The best meal of the day, I’d suggest Keeper’s Japanese Restaurant in Sugar Land. So many choices of fish and the best part is that their happy hour menu is ALL DAY. Yes, all day! Mr. Keeper Lin has been in the sushi business for over 20 years. He was also a head chef at another highly rated sushi restaurant in Houston before settling down. It’s hard to say what I get here since I order so much but their spicy chopped scallops and the Scottish salmon sashimi are to die for! No matter how full I am, I will always make room for dessert! There’s a couple of places I’d suggest and one of them is Mia’s goodies in sugar land. Mia’s goodies is a bakery that specializes in cream puffs. Her cream puffs are not too sweet and she has some really unique flavors like crème brûlée, Thai tea, boba, and so many more. Gong Cha, Ding Tea, and JTea are some amazing boba shops in Bellaire Chinatown! If you’re looking for more of a pastry or cake, then mochinut or sweet memes are some shops that serves a load if different desserts.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a big shoutout to my friends and family. Without them, this page would be nothing. I get so much support and love from everyone and it just makes me feel so good and warm. Being a small content creator is hard because so many look down on you and your work since you might not be getting as many opportunities like other big creators such as collaborations with businesses or other creators.

Website: linker.ee/ericeatsagain

Instagram: Instagram.com/ericeatsagain

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=Nw0xtJu6Yk3GI7NP0M_Ndg&utm_source=ishare